Don King Uses N-Word While Introducing Trump in Church

The boxing promoter was speaking to an assembly of black pastors.

Don King, the flamboyantly haired boxing promoter whose credits include the "Rumble in the Jungle" and the "Thrilla in Manilla," verbally slipped up and used the N-word while introducing Donald Trump to a gathering of black pastors on Wednesday.

King was speaking at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights when he said, as the New York Times transcribed:

“I told Michael Jackson, I said, if you are poor, you are a poor Negro — I would use the N-word — if you are rich, you are a rich Negro. If you are a talented intellectual, you are an intellectual Negro. If you are a dancing and sliding and gliding n—er, I mean Negro ..."

The crowd laughed nervously in response.

The use of the slur is merely the latest communications gaffe from the Trump campaign, which stood out for its incendiary speech over the summer.

Last June, the GOP candidate accused the nation of Mexico of sending "rapists and criminals" into the U.S. illegally.

In August, Trump drew criticism for his characterization of black America when he said at a rally, "You’re living in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed — what the hell do you have to lose?”

King was a strange choice to introduce a presidential candidate. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1966 after stomping on the head of a former employee. He's also been sued by many of his former clients, including Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis, over claims of fraud. Most of these settled out of court.

King was also awarded a distinguished service award by the Cleveland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1996. The NAACP also gave King its President's Award in 1997 for his continued donations to the organization.

Here's video of Don King accidentally dropping the N-word while introducing Donald Trump at a Cleveland church pic.twitter.com/HK4FWpVEC0